NORTHERN Offshore UK has secured a contract worth about £83million for its new semisubmersible drilling rig Arctic II, which it acquired at the end of last month.
The Aberdeen-based firm has gained the one-year contract, which will ensure that the rig continues to operate in the North Sea until at least October next year, from AGR Peak Well Management.
Northern’s general manager John Monks said: “When we acquired the Arctic II and Arctic IV rigs less than a month ago, we stated that we were confident that we would be able to keep the vessels working in the North Sea for years to come.
“This new contract is immediate vindication of our belief.”
Under the contract, Arctic II will provide drilling services in the North Sea for a number of operators via AGR. Mr Monks said: “The rig is currently completing work it was contracted to perform before we acquired it, but it will be available to start the AGR contract in the next few weeks.”
Northern Offshore is undergoing a significant expansion programme recruiting both onshore and offshore personnel.
Mr Monks said: “We recently placed a full-page advertisement in the Press and Journal to recruit new people and the response has been amazing.
“The number of people who are keen to join us is almost overwhelming, with hundreds of applicants registering at our recruitment website. We are an ambitious company with a strong belief that the North Sea oil and gas industry is going to continue to thrive for many years to come.”